The Self-Cultivation of Warring States Warriors

Page 18

After the New Year, Shingoro will be ten years old, reaching the lower limit of adulthood in this era. Moreover, he is usually quite clever and can be considered precocious and intelligent enough to handle some pressure.

Train like this for two or three years first, and once you're used to dealing with people, then it's not too late to plan your future.

As for little Ari, she was in no hurry to get married. Shinzaburo's task for her was to take good care of the house and look after her father, Kinbei. This was actually no easy task; caring for a man with a leg injury, difficulty walking, and a lifelong alcohol addiction was a much bigger job than she had imagined.

However, compared to the average amount of labor undertaken by rural women in that era, it was still much easier.

The remaining problem is what to do with the family's fields and chestnut trees.

With Kinbei's father so drunk, there's no way to count on him. It would be good enough if Ari could even look after the house, and Shingoro has never been particularly strong and can't do much work.

As for Shinzaburo Kubo himself, let alone whether he has time to farm in his spare time, he certainly wouldn't like to go to the fields often.

So his arrangement was—

The paddy fields were divided into four parts, and the dry fields into two and a half parts, which were then distributed to the villagers of Kubo Village who had the least land to cultivate.

The output of paddy fields is split in half, meaning 50% is paid as rent. The output of dry fields is reduced by half, with 25% paid as rent.

The proportion is certainly not too low, but when Kim Bing-wei's father allocated the annual tribute, he did not include his own land in it, which means that these lands are 100% tax-free.

Under the premise of tax exemption, paying more rent is something I'm happy to do.

However, Shinzaburo insisted that his younger brother Shingoro be responsible for the twenty chestnut trees. Even if he couldn't manage it himself, he was to hire day laborers to take good care of them.

This is a rare skill passed down from our ancestors—the art of making candied chestnuts—and we must not let it be lost.

……

Besides arranging things for his family, Shinzaburo bought himself two simple wu clothes and a cheap tachi, spending a total of 2 kan and 800 mon.

I don't need to worry about the mount that Master Mingzhou gave me. I originally wanted to look at the guju armor, but when I asked at the shop, I found out that a good quality new suit of armor cost over thirty kan, which I can't afford right now. And the cheaper ones might not be as good as the old doumaru armor I have at home.

On the sixteenth day of the first month, Kubo Shinzaburo, along with Oi Shigeie, attended the funeral of Naito Kunisada, the previous head of the Naito family.

He wasn't the main character during the process; he simply stood on the periphery and bowed along with everyone else.

Next, he met up with his superior, Matsunaga Magoroku, and they went back to take up their new posts.

Thus began Shinzaburo Kubo's samurai career.

033 The Governor and the Common People

On the sixteenth day of the first month, after the funeral of Naito Kunisada, the former governor of Tanba, Kubo Shinzaburo immediately went to Kofukuji Temple to find his superior, the newly appointed "Noguchi Township Governor" Matsunaga Magoroku, only to find that the other party looked depressed and in a bad mood.

It seems inappropriate to ask the leader directly why they are unhappy.

So Kubo Shinzaburo thought of a topic and asked, looking around, "I heard that besides myself, Lord Sun Liu has two other 'comrades-in-arms' under his command. They said before the New Year that they needed to prepare before taking office, so I haven't seen them. They should be ready by now!"

Unexpectedly, I stepped on a landmine.

Upon hearing this, Matsunaga Sunroku's dark, youthful face turned bright red. He slapped his thigh and cursed a few times before helplessly explaining, "Those two bastards stole a large amount of silver from the treasury and ran away during the most relaxed time of the year, New Year's Eve. I heard they headed west to seek refuge with the Hatano family!"

Shinzaburo Kubo stared in disbelief, unsure how to respond. After a long pause, he managed to utter, "They are probably dissatisfied with the new family rules implemented by Lord Nagayori."

Matsunaga Sunroku said with a wry smile, "But now the higher-ups believe that it was my dereliction of duty that led to this. Therefore, two of the four administrative districts I was in charge of in Yamashiro Province have been confiscated."

Good heavens, this is pure bad luck. The new leader has only been in office for a few days, and he may not even know the people properly yet, and his subordinates have already absconded with the money. To say how much responsibility they bear is really unfair.

A huge pot fell from the sky, and half of my salary was deducted. How tragic!

However, Matsunaga Nagayoshi had just emphasized at the conference that the acting governor must be responsible for all affairs under his jurisdiction.

While the ink is still wet, one certainly cannot show leniency to one's own followers.

After pondering his words for a moment, Shinzaburo Kubo cautiously said, "Lord Nagayori must be a discerning person. The reason for this severe punishment is simply to show that all members of the clan are treated equally, so as to prevent outsiders from criticizing. You have made a sacrifice for the greater good, and you will surely be respected even more in the future."

Matsunaga Sonroku sighed repeatedly, bowed, and said, "I hope so! Let's not mention this matter again. At present, Shinzaburo is the only loyal follower I have left, so I must trouble you!"

Kubo Shinzaburo quickly returned the greeting, saying, "You flatter me. It is I who have been troubling Lord Sun all along."

Matsunaga Sonroku shook his head and said, "No need for formalities, let's get down to business."

"Understood." Kubo Shinzaburo responded insincerely, then, following the train of thought from last year, asked, "Lord Sun, now that we have a general understanding of the situation regarding the people under our jurisdiction evading taxes, should we immediately begin questioning the individuals from each village?"

Matsunaga Sonroku, who seemed quite reckless, shook his head repeatedly upon hearing this, saying, "Although I learned some things from those disgruntled people last year, it was all just hearsay, without any real evidence. How can we convince everyone if we confront them now? Forcing a debate will only lead to a fight."

What Kubo Shinzaburo was most worried about was that the other party, being young and impetuous, would take advantage of being a member of Matsunaga Nagayori's faction to forcibly increase the tax rate. Now that he saw that the other party had no such intention, he breathed a sigh of relief.

He then praised, "You're absolutely right. A brute force is no substitute for a clever strategy. It seems Lord Sun must have some brilliant plan."

Matsunaga Sonroku stroked the few whiskers on his chin and smiled, "It's not exactly a brilliant plan, but it does have some clues."

Kubo Shinzaburo had been preoccupied with family and village affairs for some time and had no time for work. He was truly at a loss for ideas, so he put on a humble appearance and respectfully said, "Please enlighten me, Lord Sun Liu."

Matsunaga Sonroku was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "I recently heard that someone has been running a casino under my jurisdiction for many years. This is a serious violation of the laws of the Imperial Court and the regulations of the Shogunate. Is Shinzaburo aware of this?"

Of course, the local "village elders" couldn't have been completely unaware of this matter.

However, Shinzaburo Kubo was not very familiar with the specific location and operation.

Many local gentry or wealthy farmers in the surrounding villages were fond of gambling, but Old Man Jin Bingwei, an idealist, was not among them. This is similar to how the heroes of the Water Margin often gambled together, but Song Jiang never participated.

As a time traveler, Shinzaburo Kubo has a deep understanding of the harmfulness of gambling and never gets involved in it.

Therefore, I had no choice but to tell the truth: "My father and I have indeed often heard about this matter, but we have never seen it with our own eyes. As for the other people in our Kubo Village, most of them probably don't have that kind of spare money."

Matsunaga Sunroku smiled and said, "Your father and you both have great ambitions, so naturally you wouldn't indulge in this. But you should know who the most notorious gambler in the neighborhood is."

That does know.

There was no need for Shinzaburo Kubo to hide anything from him, and he said frankly, "That must be Hachiro Otona from Shimizu Village! But that guy is cunning and ruthless, and probably won't be easy to deal with."

Matsunaga Sonroku was somewhat surprised to hear this, and shook his head, saying, "If this person is truly cunning and ruthless, why must we deal with him? My subordinates are currently short of people, so we can certainly try to recruit him!"

Kubo Shinzaburo was somewhat confused and asked doubtfully, "Lord Sun, didn't you just mean to shut down casinos and ban gambling? That Otona Hachiro from Shimizu Village is known as the most addicted gambler. How could he be willing to cooperate?"

Matsunaga Sonroku's youthful yet dark face revealed a meaningful smile as he shook his head and said, "It's not about banning gambling in general, but about banning the establishment of private casinos. If this person can be used by me, he can find people to gamble with in Yagi Castle, or he can go to the mosque in front of Kofukuji Temple to vent his frustrations!"

Understood.

This means that it's fine for samurai to gamble in the city. It's also fine for casinos to be backed by monks.

However, illegal gambling dens run by ordinary people must be dealt with severely.

They talk about the laws and regulations of the imperial court and the discipline of the government, but in reality, it's a case of "the magistrate is allowed to set fires, but the common people are not allowed to light lamps."

Throughout Japanese history, numerous policies have been introduced to prohibit gambling, yet why has it consistently failed to be eradicated? The answer lies in the fact that officials themselves lead the way in violating these policies.

Shinzaburo Kubo immediately understood.

However, there is another question: what is the connection between cracking down on gambling and the previously mentioned investigation into land and grain reserves?

Matsunaga Sunroku laughed and said, "With Shinzaburo's intelligence, it shouldn't be difficult for him to figure it out."

So after careful consideration, Shinzaburo Kubo quickly figured it out.

Ordinary people don't have much spare money, so it's impossible for them to gamble frequently.

Since this privately-run casino has been able to operate for so long, it must be because it has many "local gentry" and wealthy people who patronize it.

There are no commercial strongholds nearby, and the local gentry and wealthy farmers are most likely like Jin Bingwei's father, making money by manipulating the annual tribute.

As long as we can get hold of these people's weaknesses, will we still have to worry about dealing with money, grain, and land matters?

On the other hand, if the privately run casinos are eliminated, forcing these gamblers to play only at the temple grounds in front of Kofukuji, the monks can earn more money, and Master Myoshu might be very happy.

Thinking about it this way, is the ban on gambling truly intended to clean up social morals, or is it simply to prevent privately run casinos from getting a share of the profits?

It's truly terrifying to think about.

034 Knocking on the Mountain to Shock the Tiger

After hearing Kubo Shinzaburo mention the name "Otina Hachiroza of Shimizu Village," Matsunaga Sunroku thought for a moment, then frowned and said, "I've looked at Shimizu Village carefully before. It clearly doesn't have much land, and it's mostly dry land... How could Otina from that village have so much room for gambling?"

Kubo Shinzaburo said, "That's why this man is so cunning. It is said that when he led the villagers to participate in battles, every time they won a battle, he would always be able to take advantage of the situation to 'plunder and loot' and make a lot of money."

“He certainly has the makings of a samurai,” Matsunaga Magoroku said admiringly, but then raised a new question: “Excuse my bluntness, but the Naito family doesn’t seem to have won many battles in the past ten years or so, does it? No matter how skilled that guy is at ‘human hunting,’ he won’t have a chance!”

Kubo Shinzaburo hesitated for a moment, then said, "Although I have never seen him in person, I have heard that this Hachiroza often leads the young men of Shimizu Village over the mountains to the main road to do some business that requires no capital."

“He is indeed a ruthless person. It’s a pity he’s not a samurai.” Matsunaga Sunroku blinked, a cunning look appearing on his dark yet youthful face, and slowly said, “In that case, I have thought of a way to control this person.”

After a moment's thought, Kubo Shinzaburo nodded in agreement: "I think I understand what Lord Sun Liu means. It is indeed a good plan, but it is a little complicated to implement."

Matsunaga Sonroku laughed and said, "With a wise general like Shinzaburo assisting me, I have nothing to worry about."

Shinzaburo Kubo immediately bowed and said, "There are some things that I'm afraid I can't help with, and that require the assistance of the magistrates of other villages."

Matsunaga Sonroku understood immediately and nodded to indicate that there was no problem: "After all, I am His Highness Nagayori's cousin, so it is not a problem for my colleagues to help me out with a small matter."

The two exchanged a smile and quickly devised a plan.

……

After a period of preparation, Matsunaga Magoro and Kubo Shinzaburo each rode a horse, accompanied by their entourages, and spent three days traveling aggressively through all thirteen villages under their jurisdiction. They questioned random villagers seriously, asking if they had seen any suspected thieves in recent months, or heard any news about the sale of stolen jewelry.

Matsunaga Sunroku was a newly appointed magistrate. His face was unfamiliar. Although his face was youthful, he was dark-skinned and burly, with the stereotypical image of a fierce samurai lord. With a stern face and a harsh voice, he could frighten most of the common people into trembling and sweating profusely.

Conversely, Shinzaburo Kubo, as a kind and approachable "local," gently advised people not to be afraid, to just tell them what they knew, and not to be too nervous.

At this point, no matter who is being questioned, one can only rack their brains to recall all the out-of-towners they have seen recently, recounting every detail in order to escape the questioning.

Then, an attendant would take out paper and pen and solemnly record what he heard.

Of course, every village must have those hotheaded, unruly villagers who aren't even afraid of samurai lords, but Matsunaga Magoroku and Kubo Shinzaburo wouldn't choose such people as the subjects of their inquiries.

After repeating this process for three days, the two successfully collected a large amount of seemingly trivial and ultimately useless information, and successfully spread a sense of panic to every nearby village.

Naturally, neither Matsunaga Magoro nor Kubo Shinzaburo showed any signs of progress. They remained pale-faced all day, returning to Kubo Village every night to rest immediately and leaving the next morning without engaging in any further conversations with those around them.

On the fourth day, the two changed their strategy.

They no longer roam around in public. Instead, they bring one or two people back each day, interrogate them thoroughly in a small dark room, and then release them.

From the fourth to the seventh day, we visited different villages.

On the eighth day, they summoned a man from Qingshui Village to question him.

On the ninth day, it was yet another person from Qingshui Village.

On the tenth day, it was still Qingshui Village, but with a different person.

On the eleventh day, they were still from Qingshui Village.

Then, Matsunaga Magoroku, along with his entourage, swaggered away from Kubo Village and returned to Yagi Castle.

Two days later, in the afternoon, Otohachiro Sasa from Shimizu Village, accompanied by several villagers, hurriedly visited Kubo Shinzaburo's house.

He originally said he wanted to find Old Man Jinbingwei, but coincidentally Old Man Jinbingwei hadn't actually drunk too much that day. However, after hearing Hachiro say just a few words, his eyes lit up and he passed out.

So they could only turn to Shinsaburo.

Hachiro first said with a chuckle, "I never expected that Lord Shinzaburo would suddenly become a samurai of the Naito family. He is indeed different from us ordinary people. Please take good care of him in the future! Please forgive me for not having had time to send a congratulatory gift before!"

Upon hearing this, Shinzaburo Kubo immediately shook his head and said, "You already came to offer your congratulations in early January, and you even had several drinks with my father!"

Hachiro quickly shook his head: "That time, it was just a casual greeting during the New Year's festival. Today, I came here specifically to offer my congratulations..."

He then asked the villagers who were with him to hand him gifts.

Shinzaburo Kubo immediately waved his hand and refused, saying, "I cannot accept gifts without having done something right. You and my father have always addressed each other as equals, so I dare not accept your gifts so easily. If you need any help, just say so."

Upon hearing this, Hachiro looked up and examined him carefully for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "I do have a favor to ask."

Shinzaburo Kubo nodded readily and said, "Please feel free to speak. As long as it is within my power, I will not refuse."

Hachiro waved for the villagers to move away, and Kubo Shinzaburo also gestured for Oi Shigeie to leave.

Then Hachiro put on a sincere yet aggrieved look and said in a mournful voice, "Lord Shinsaburo, please tell me, what exactly is our new magistrate up to lately?"

Kubo Shinzaburo looked troubled and hesitated for a long time before lowering his voice and leaning closer to say, "This matter is not exactly a secret, but it is difficult to talk about. The Miyoshi family has a concubine who is the beloved concubine of a great man. She returned from her parents' home and was ambushed and extorted on the road on the other side of the mountain some time ago. Not only did she lose all her valuable jewelry, but it is also unclear whether she was humiliated... Now the clues point to Funai District in Tanba Province, so our new magistrate wants to take action."

Upon hearing this, Hachiro asked doubtfully, "I asked people from other places, and they all said that their magistrates also conducted checks, but only asked a few simple questions and that was it. Why is our Lord Matsunaga Sunroku not letting go of the people from our Shimizu Village?"

Kubo Shinzaburo clicked his tongue and said, "Young and impetuous, eager to please the big shots above! These past few days he's been forcing me to do chores everywhere, it's really exhausting!"

Hachirozuka looked aggrieved and said, "Then why have they been questioning the people from our Qingshui Village these past few days?"

Shinzaburo Kubo rolled his eyes and said irritably, "Don't you understand?"

Balang Zuo quickly waved his hand: "Our village does sometimes do business without capital, but we always have good judgment. We only deal with small, insignificant merchant caravans and dare not offend important people!"

Kubo Shinzaburo sighed, "That important man's concubine is from a merchant family. This time, she came back from her parents' home with a small merchant caravan."

Hachiro said helplessly, "It really wasn't our Shimizu Village that did it! There must be at least a dozen villages 'doing business' in that area, so why did they target me?"

Kubo Shinzaburo deliberately avoided eye contact, saying quietly, "But the other dozen or so villages aren't under the jurisdiction of our new magistrate! It seems like things are bound to come to a conclusion. Lord Matsunaga Magoro returned to Yagi Castle two days ago, saying he had something to report to his superiors, but I don't know what he reported..."